Hair Styling Device and Method

ABSTRACT

A hairstyling device includes a needle having a shaft with a first end and a second end, a tail terminating with the second end, and an eye formed from the shaft proximate the first end and the tail. The hairstyling is useful for creating protective hairstyles when manipulated by a hairstylist.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is related to and claims priority to U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 15/599,416, filed May 18, 2017, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/364,306 filed Jul. 19, 2016, both of which are incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

The following includes information that may be useful in understanding the present disclosure. It is not an admission that the information provided is prior art nor material to the described or claimed inventions, nor that any publication or document expressly or implicitly referenced is prior art.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention generally relates to hairstyling devices and relates explicitly to creating protective hairstyles.

RELATED ART

Hairstylists may use various tools such as hair irons (including flat and curling irons), hairdryers, hairbrushes (flat and round), hair rollers, crochet hooks, etc. Different tools may create protective hairstyles. One such protective hairstyle includes crochet braids, also known as latch hook braids, created by crocheting synthetic hair extensions to a person's natural hair with a latch hook or crochet hook. However, crochet hooks strain hairstylists' wrists, take a lot of time, and can be painful to the client. A. Therefore, a solution is desired.

U.S. Pub. No. 2004/0134509 to Belton relates to a happy locs tool. The described happy locs tool includes a pinched end for holding sections of hair. The hair section is threaded through the bulb and pulled upward into the pinch of the needle. This device secures hair while sewing hair in looping patterns in the formation of the hairstyle dreadlocks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Invention methods include methods having steps to provide a needle having a curved body, a hair-extension-eye first end, and a blunt-tip second end; to provide a lock of hair extension; threading the lock into the eye; and the stitch the lock into the client's hair. In some versions, the needle has a curved body (sometimes the curve is continuous along at least 80-90% or 85-95% of the body) and comprises a viscoelastic polymer-based material. The needle has an eye sized to receive hair-extension locks. In some versions, the lock has a diameter of 1/64 inch to % inch. In some versions, the eye's length is 10 to 35% or 10 to 25% of the needle's total length. Typically, the needle is blunt in that it will not puncture the skin in regular use.

The hair-extension locks come in various styles and colors, including micro braid extensions, Dreadlocks, beaded lock extensions, etc. The hair can be artificial or real. The threading-the-lock step encompasses a large variety of different threading techniques, including looping the lock through the eye one or two times after threading it through the eye, a small part of the way or halfway along the length of the hair extension.

The stitching step secures the hair-extension lock to the client's hair. Sometimes, the stylist inserts the blunt-tip under the client's hair and pulls the lock through. This step can be repeated multiple times.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The figures that accompany this specification illustrate different device versions of a hairstyling device and method.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the hairstyling device during an ‘in-use’ condition.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of the hairstyling device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the hairstyling device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of the hairstyling device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of using the hairstyling device.

The embodiments of the present invention will be described with the appended drawings: like designations denote like elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to hairstyling devices and methods.

Generally, the present disclosure allows a hairstylist to easily and quickly create protective hairstyles, such as crochet braids. It provides a device with an ergonomic shape that effectively reduces wrist pain. It eliminates the need to use a cumbersome crochet hook to create individual styles. It increases speed and productivity for women and hairstylists. The present invention enables hairstylists to style hair with minimal pulling and tangling.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals of reference, there is shown in FIGS. 1-4, various views of a hairstyling device. FIG. 1 shows a hairstyling device during an ‘in-use’ condition. Here, the hairstyling device may be used by a hairstylist 5 to create protective hairstyles on a client head 15. As illustrated, the hairstyling device may include a needle 110 that may have a hair-extension first end 114 and a blunt-tipped second end 116 and have a shaft 112 with a first end 114 and a second end 116. The shaft 112 may be formed into an eye 120 along the shaft 112 proximate the first end 114 and a tip or blunt-tip 130. The tip or blunt-tip 130 may terminate with the second end 116.

The hair styling device may be configured to create protective hairstyles when manipulated by the hairstylist 5. The hairstyling device is hand-manipulated such that wrist-strain may be minimized.

FIG. 2 shows the hairstyling device of FIG. 1. As above, the hairstyling device may include the needle 110 that may have the shaft 112 with the first end 114 and the second end 116. The shaft 112 may be formed into the eye 120 along the shaft 112 proximate the first end 114 and the tip or blunt-tip 130. The tip or blunt-tip 130 may terminate with the second end 116. The hairstyling device may include a hand-grip 132. The hand-grip 132 may be about a mid-section between the tip or blunt-tip 130 and the eye 120. The hand-grip 132 may comprise rubber. However, additional material that provides a gripping action may be used. A diameter 138 on the hand-grip 132 may be larger than that of shaft 112 to encourage the hairstylist 5 to use the hand-grip 132.

The eye 120 of the hairstyling device may be along the shaft 112 proximate the first end 114 and the tip or blunt-tip 130, the tip or blunt-tip 130 terminating the second end 116. The eye 120 may be substantially oval and configured to receive a plurality of hairs 25. In some versions come the length of the eye's 10-35% or 10-25% of the device's length. The plurality of hairs 25 comprises a lock or a braid. The abraid may be selected from micro-braids, dreadlocks, and pre-braided styles. Additional methods of using the hairstyling device will be understood by those knowledgeable in such art. A braid may be looped through the eye 120 at least once such that it may be manipulated about itself to create the desired protective hairstyle. The needle 110 may be configured to provide a tool that the hairstylist 5 may use to thread the braid through the client's hair.

The handle 132 may be arcuate and may fit a normalized hand-position when used by the hairstylist 5. The second end 116 may comprise a round-end profile or a non-round-end profile, whichever may most benefit the hairstylist 5 and the desired protective hairstyle. Device 110's body curve is continuous along at least 80-90% or 85-95% of the body of device 110.

FIG. 3 is a front perspective view of the hairstyling device of FIG. 1. The hairstyling device may include the shaft 112. The shaft 112 may be formed into the eye 120 along the shaft 112 proximate the first end 114 the shaft 112 may comprise a circular cross-section. The shaft 112 may comprise metal or plastic and may be viscoelastic. Other materials may accommodate the hairstylist 5 or further technological advances.

FIG. 4 is a top perspective view of the hairstyling device of FIG. 1. The hairstyling device may include the needle 110. The needle 110 may form the shaft 112 with the first end 114 and the second end 116. The shaft 112 may be formed into the eye 120 along the shaft 112 proximate the first end 114 and the tip or blunt-tip 130. The tip or blunt-tip 130 may terminate with the second end 116. The hand-grip 132 may be about a meeting section between the tip or blunt-tip 130 and the eye 120.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for using 500 a hairstyling device. The method for using 500 the hairstyling device may include one or more components or features of the hairstyling device as described above. As illustrated, the method for using 500 the hairstyling device may include the steps of step one 501, looping a braid once; step two 502, placing the braid through the eye; step three 503, sewing the hairstyling device under pre-braided hair on the head; step four 504, removing the shaft of the hairstyling device from under the pre-braided hair on the head; step five 505, pulling an end (not shown) of the braid through the eye at least two times; and step six 506, repeating previous steps until completing desired protective hairstyle.

Step six 506 is optional and may not be always implemented. Optional steps of the method of use 500 are illustrated using dotted lines in FIG. 5 to distinguish them from the other steps of the method of use 500. The steps also described in the method of use can be carried out in many orders according to preferences. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: providing a needle having a curved body, a hair-extension-eye first end, and a blunt-tip second end; providing a lock of hair extension; threading the lock into the eye; and stitching the lock into the client's hair.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the needle has a curved body.
 3. The method of claim 2 wherein the needle comprises a polymer-based material.
 4. The method of claim 3 wherein the polymer-based material is viscoelastic.
 5. The method of claim 4 wherein the blunt tip will not puncture the skin in everyday use.
 6. The method of claim 5 wherein the lock of hair is a microbraid.
 7. The method of claim 6 wherein the lock of hair is a dreadlock.
 8. The method of claim 7 wherein the lock of hair is a beaded lock.
 9. The method of claim 8 wherein the hair is artificial.
 10. The method of claim 9 wherein the hair is real.
 11. The method of claim 10 wherein the eye has an opening sized to receive the lock.
 12. The method of claim 11 wherein the lock has a 1/64-to-½-inch diameter.
 13. The method of claim 12 wherein the eye's length is 10-35% or 10-25% of the needle's total length.
 14. The method of claim 13 wherein threading a lock comprises looping the lock through the eye one or two times.
 15. The method of claim 14 wherein threading the lock comprises partially threading the lock into the eye.
 16. The method of claim 14 wherein threading a lock comprises threading the lock halfway into the eye.
 17. The method of claim 15 wherein stitching the lock comprises inserting the blunt-tip under the client's hair and pulling the lock through a desired amount.
 18. The method of claim 17 wherein stitching the lock comprises inserting the blunt-tip under the client's hair, pulling the lock through a desired amount, inserting the blunt tip under the client's hair another time, and pulling the lock through a desired amount.
 19. A needle having a curved body comprising: a viscoelastic polymer-based material; a hair-extension-eye first end having a 1/64-to-½-inch diameter and a length 10-35% or 10-25% of the needle length; and a blunt-tip second end.
 20. The needle of claim 19 wherein the curve is continuous along at least 80-90% or 85-95% of the body. 